As the Portland Trail Blazers prepare for another NBA season, the coaching staff has a lot of important decisions to make. Portland has a deep frontcourt, especially after making the decision to draft UConn center Donovan Clingan in the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft.
Clingan will battle for minutes with fellow centers Robert Williams III and Deandre Ayton, the latter of whom has been one of the NBA’s most polarizing players since being selected first overall by the Phoenix Suns in the 2018 NBA draft.
Ayton entered the league with the intention of becoming another dominant center after a strong showing at the University of Arizona. But so far, he has failed to live up to the hype that was generated when he was drafted.
He’s still a good player, but for a first overall pick, he’s been a disappointment. Ayton was recently named one of the most overrated players in the NBA by Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report.
“Ayton’s high-usage, low-efficiency profile is a lot like Vučević’s, except he’s not nearly as good of a facilitator and is almost as allergic to contact. Ayton’s refusal to dunk or attack the basket is one of the league’s most infuriating individual traits. Despite good hands, quick feet and plenty of lift, the 26-year-old has ranked in the 98th percentile or above in mid-range shooting frequency among bigs in each of the last three years.”
In his first season with Portland, Ayton averaged 16.7 points, 11.1 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game. While his year wasn’t his worst, he mostly used his numbers to mask his mediocrity on the court.
Ayton was expected to be a bruiser in the paint when he was drafted, but he has fallen far short of that. His interior game has not flourished as much as his teams would have liked and he has become reliant on poor defense to get easy shot attempts.
With Clingan now in the building, Ayton could become an indispensable player for the Trail Blazers. He’s set to make $34 million this season and $35.5 million next year.
Portland will have to decide if Ayton is part of their future or if they could consider trading him for assets. If the Trail Blazers don’t see Ayton as part of the future core, he could see his playing time reduced this season as they give more playing time to younger players.
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